Who Needs Perfume? Just Wear A Jasmine Dress!

Can you imagine the fragrance? This gorgeous dress, shown in these even more gorgeous images from Jonas Peterson, is made of jasmine flowers. Jasmine FLOWERS! I have to warn you that after seeing this, I'm no longer content with my wardrobe as is. And if you invite me to your fancy party, I might just arrive wearing a crazy concoction like this. And by crazy, I mean astoundingly awesome.

Raf Simon's Flower Maze for Dior Couture

Dior has, of late, been absolutely bewitching me. First, they go and make Marion Cotillard - truly the most beautiful woman in the world - their new girl. That piqued my interest. But with this maze of flower walls that new creative director Raf Simons created...they have BLOWN MY MIND.

Time to put the fun back in dysfunctional!

Just in time for holidays...Dysfunctional family BINGO!  The squares are hilarious, and instead of marking them off as you identify each bad behavior, you get to take out all of your passive aggressive anger by punching out the square.  Because what holiday is complete without...

• inappropriate attire
• questionable parenting
• hormonal imbalance
• escaping early
• self-medicating
• repetitive stories

Seriously, this might just be my new go-to gift.

Pinterested in a lot of stuff...

Like the rest of the world, Fiore Blossoms is now on Pinterest!  (I'm not even going to pretend I'm original, or that I discovered something new, but if YOU still haven't, it's time!).  Just wanted to let you know that I've been pinning like mad and starting to collect some great ideas there for tables, flowers, paper, food; anything event related. 

And, a few of my favorite go-to's for hordes of ideas:

Perfect Palette...TONS of palettes and gorgeous ideas!:  http://pinterest.com/perfectpalette/

Wedding Wishfulness from Leslie Hoggatt: http://pinterest.com/lesliehoggatt/products-i-love/

BHLDN pins!  And it's not just their stuff...: http://pinterest.com/BHLDN/

and Jordan Ferney...you know that old Police song?  "Every Little Things She Does is Magic".  It was written about her!  And this is where she collects some of her ideas.  I'm glad I get to spy!  http://pinterest.com/jordanferney/

Financial advising with Fiore Blossoms

Stocks.  Gold.  Coffee can in the back yard.  Real estate.  Forever stamps!

I've done a financial analysis for you, so that you can spend your time doing summer things.  Since all of the other methods have proved not-so-lucrative in recent years, I propose that we all sell our 401Ks and invest everything in the gorgeous new "Garden of Love" forever stamps by Jose Ortega.  I mean, think of their value, when postage rates have increased to $1.25 one-ounce rate!  And in the mean time, much prettier to look at than bond certificates.

Ortega says, "Garden of Love depicts the abundance of life, its generosity, whose spirit is to be shared by all its creatures. Love's definition is broader than romantic love. Love is that colorful, full feeling you get when you enjoy being a part of and sharing in the generosity of life."  Almost as beautiful as his summery, fanciful art work, don't you think?

a personalized Welcome! for tired traveling guests

My fancy espresso machine that is one of my most prized possessions is on week four at the repair shop...which means I've been spending a lot of time thinking about coffee.  Ok, I always spend a lot of time thinking about coffee, but I just appreciate a steaming pick-me-up more than ever right now, since it's a little harder to get. But I've been thinking this morning, as I'm drinking some Starbucks VIA--which is actually surprisingly good!--how much I love my favorite mug.

It's a mug with a beautiful swirly "A" that one of my favorite brides gave me after her wedding.  It's fun to have a personalized mug with your initial, and there are several great ones out there!  I think they'd be a great gift to tuck into welcome bags with some local coffee.  They show that you really thought about each guest individually, and they'll think about your event for years to come whenever they are having a cup of something cozy.  

 1.  My favorite!  I use mine everyday.  2. Pretty, casual colors  3.  Bold initial  4.  DIY...so charming, and looks like it would be easy  5.  One more   6.  The pretty Missus mug

If you are in Seattle, some of my very favorite coffees are from Caffe Fiore (and not just for their awesome name!), Zoka, and Stumptown.  Stumptown is really from Portland, but is so delicious that I'd consider bending the local rules a little and using it since they have opened a store here now. 

If I wasn't facing a mountain of paperwork...

I'd be...sitting on one of these fantastic toadstools (from Sugar & Fluff),

drinking this seriously pretty Ramos gin fizz (made by Bryn Lumsden of Rob Roy via Seattle Met),

ordering these fantastic stickers for all of the soon-to-arrive-babies around here (no! not at my house!).  They stick to a onesie and look just like they've been ironed on, but peel right off.  How perfect for photos throughout the first year!  Created by a Seattle mom, and also available with tummy stickers for those pregnancy photos, and years through 12. 

Not a creature was stirring...not even a mouse!

On a recent trip to Portland I fell in love with these little German mice tucked into little matchbox beds at Ink & Peat.  I saw them again this weekend at Lucca in Seattle and remembered how charming they are.  Each sweet little felt mouse is tucked into a pretty matchbox with its own little pillow and blankie.  I know some kids love anything in boxes or containers, and I think this is perfect.  Or perfect for an adult that just needs a little friend to brighten their day!  Available at Ink & Peat, and Lucca.

Lovely

Though I deeply admire anyone that can get some paint/ink/chalk onto paper in any form that invokes beauty or emotion (since I can't do it at all), I don't own enough original artwork.  The majority of framed things on my walls are botanical prints (flowers, butterflies, birds, mushrooms etc.), with a few antique enamel French street signs and flea market architectural images mixed in. My very favorite pieces I own though are four original tiny watercolors I bought from an equally tiny old lady who paints on the bridge in Paris that has a view of Notre Dame.  They are beautiful little Paris city-scenes; so quaint and charming without even a touch of icky cuteness.

But now I have the sweet little watercolors of gollybard on my wishlist. I didn't realize I was such a tiny watercolor fan, but I just love these so much. (No, Holly from gollybard did not contact me, offer me free art for pimping her out, or beg for a little blog mention. Much to my chagrin, damn it!). Charming and quaint, without even a touch of icky cuteness. Perfectly lovely, and destined for my walls I believe.  (Husband...are you reading this???)

All images from Gollybard aka Holly.  Gollybard's etsy shop; blog; flickr stream

Risk-taking

Be brave today...tell someone something that's been on your mind.  Wear the outlandishly awesome dress you love, paint some furniture the color of mandarin oranges or new fern leaves.  Ask for help.  Ask for the promotion you've deserved for a long time, reconnect with a lost friend, say no if you are a yes-person.  Commit.  Give...more time, money, or love than you think you have. 

Scared?  Let this inspire you. 


p.s.  I'm practicing what I'm preachin at y'all, and just submitted my resume and application for something scary.  I'll let you know if and when things unfold.

Janelle Monae

You know I love me a good asylum. Add some seriously funky dancing and you had me at hello.

365 Collections

I can't remember the first collection I had, because I've loved collecting since before I can remember.  Sometimes I love items because they have a story (like my vintage blue enamel French street signs), sometimes because each item is beautiful (sea urchins), sometimes it's just to have a lot of things of a particular color (mercury glass candlesticks, eggs).  I like to have multiples of anything I really like--maybe I'm just a hoarder, maybe I'm greedy!  But I do love how everyday items can become elevated to the status of artwork when massed in a group (stacked beach rocks, light bulbs in a bell jar, cookbooks arranged by color on a kitchen shelf).  And I love a group of true artwork, though it doesn't have to be fancy (my favorite paintings are four watercolors I bought from a tiny old lady on a bridge over-looking Notre Dame in Paris).

But artist Lisa Congdon...she's done me one better.  She is spending the year collecting collections!  Every day she is documenting a collection on her blog A Collection a Day, 2010.  It's lovely.  It's full of the everyday-objects type of collections, and may make you think about some of your own things a little differently.  She occasionally sketches or paints a collection, and her artwork is simply fantastic.  I'm adding it to the collection of blogs in my reader.

All images by Lisa Congdon, from A Collection a Day, 2010.

I spy...

beautiful bedding (named the Fiore Collection!).  What is it about spring that makes me want to remodel the bed?  Available from Garnet Hill, and it's even a reasonable price. 

(This may just be a  response to a weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, sleeping in the exact opposite of this.  Of all the sacrifices we make for our children, GWL may be the ultimate.  Its heavenly to be home.)

Art-O-Matic

 Brilliant recycling of old cigarette machines!  Art-O-Mat originated in Winston-Salem, NC (where else?) as a performance art piece intent on repackaging art to make it part of our daily lives.  Anyone can be an art collector with art-0-mat...put in $5 dollars, and out pops an original painting/drawing/photo book/collage the size of a cigarette pack.  Over 400 artists now contribute art to the 82 machines placed in various locations around the U.S.

I love the variety of funky old machines they've used:

And a little sample of some of the work...

If you are in Seattle, there is one at Venue in Ballard. 

Oh Suzani!

Killer new Suzani fabric collection from Calico Corners...and on sale for 15% off until March 27.  Maybe they'll send me 10 yards of each for writing this.  A girl can only hope.

Fool-proof

Loving this sweet little set of vintage looking milk bottles in a galvanized caddy from Pottery Barn.  It offers guaranteed arranging success--just put a few simple blooms in each, and don't get too fancy by mixing a lot of variety.  I'd even leave a few empty.  This might be my summer go-to gift.

Climbing the walls

the new Anthropologie in London (first in Europe) has a living wall--irrigated solely by rainwater collected on the roof!  I've always loved living walls--the local Seattle zoo has one in the tropical rain forest house with orchids that is pretty spectacular when they are blooming. (Anthropologie wall pic from Print & Pattern).

A few others to admire...

From mosstika, installed on a roof garden in Brooklyn. Little tiny green sedums growing from between wood slats of varying sizes. (more photos of the process at designboom). Followed by a few more installations by Edina Tokodi of mosstika.  I love the living graffiti idea of many of her pieces.

America's largest green wall (the size of a doubles tennis court!) by PNC in Pittsburgh. When watered the required 15 minutes a week, it weighs 24 tons.

Patrick Blanc appears to be the master of the living wall, or vertical garden as he calls it. Check out the slide show on the opening page of his site. Crazy.

BEST save-the-date EVER!!!

You must watch this--even if you are not planning a wedding.  It amazed me.  It will entertain you.


I'm off to the airport to pick up Aunt Kerry.  LOVE it when the sistas come to town!  Ciao!

Today's situation

Geez.  It's busy out there today folks.  Don't panic, because I present you with coping strategies.

1)  Thank you Huffington Post, for providing us with the necessary and hilarious rules for getting through the State of the Union Address tonight.   Who said politics is dull?  Now I'm actually sorry to be missing it tonight for a client meeting in light of all the fun to be had, but I've got to work on the state of my own union.

2)  blah, blah, blah, iPad, blah, blah...I give you this. Because SERIOUSLY. 

3) If you just need a break from it all and you'd rather look at some loveliness, I can't compete today.  Just go check out these easy and fab directions for some seriously luscious gorgeousness over at 100 Layer Cake.

week in review {january 15, 2010 edition}

hanging rope beds (!) on Urban Grace, and more bedroom ideas the next day. I'm feeling the annual January urges to work on the house. Need to get my brain back in the wedding game.

A super simple, but sparkly and cheerful table anyone can do. Spring bulbs (they're all over the grocery and hardware stores right now, pre-forced for early blooming so that you don't have to do the work), pretty mercury glass or any votives you love, and icy glass. One secret that might not be obvious? Choose just two colors to design the whole table with, and make them two analogous (that means adjacent on the color wheel) as in the royal blue and stem green on this pretty table. Notice each color is just repeated a few times--green in the stems and napkins, blue in the flowers and napkin twine wrap. That's the secret formula! Oh, pic via Purple Area.

I'm definitely jumping on the Polaroid bandwagon. Not only have they hired the Lady I'm completely GaGa for as their Creative Director (brilliant! can't wait to see what she comes up with!), but when the re-release their classic, it looks like they're going to make a faux wood grain version. Groovy.

A real wedding all about fashion...the bride is the senior fashion editor for Marie Claire. Dress is a custom gown by Marchesa (If I was a bazillionaire, I'd flounce around every day in either Marchesa and Oscar De La Renta. i do charitable work while wearing them to make up for my silliness.), fabulous bridesmaids dresses with huge grey sequins by Burberry. The bride also had custom shoes made by Mr. Louboutin himself! I wanna see more of this one! (There's a little more in the February issue of MC, but not enough.)Photos by Charlotte Jenks Lewis, as seen on 100 Layer Cake.

I found a new-to-me blog this week that seems to do a better job of expressing what is in my brain than I do. So lovely.

And while we're on the subject of other blogs, if you are a flower lover and haven't subscribed yet to Flowerwild, you absolutely must. Kate Holt is extraordinarily talented. Just a selection of a few things posted recently. Notice it's white and black anemone season!